


Montague and Capulet

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-08
Updated: 2003-04-08
Packaged: 2019-05-15 15:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: AU -  Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant.





	1. Montague and Capulet

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  


**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"Yo, Bugle Boy," CJ called down the hall toward Josh. 

"Bugle Boy?"

"I don't know," she explained as she approached him. "Sometimes, these things just come to me."

"Kay."

"I need a favor."

"Not okay. I'm swamped," he said and turned back toward his office.

"Okay, but this is not so much a favor as it is your job. I need you to take a meeting with Gormly this afternoon at three."

Josh raised his eyebrows. "Why am I taking a meeting with him?"

"Because we need to work out the details of the debate next Tuesday."

"That's Toby's call."

"No," CJ sighed. "That was Toby's call. Right up until the point where he and Gormly got into a screaming match and Toby called Gormly a peabrain with a� with a� you know a certain male body part to match."

Josh laughed.

"Yuck it up, Laughing Boy, the point is Gormly is refusing to speak with Toby, there are still a few minor issues that need to be dealt with and it has got to be done. Sam's with the president. You're here and you know more about this stuff than I do."

Josh rolled his neck. "But I've got the education thing�"

"It's all about the election, Josh," CJ reminded him. "As much as it stinks, Bruno's right. If we don't get him elected � nothing else matters. And Ritchie's numbers are climbing."

"Really?"

"We just got the US Today poll this morning � 38."

"Thirty-eight's nothing."

"Thirty-eight is more than thirty one which is where we were after the last debate. Meet with Gormly," CJ said and waited until he nodded. "And remember we want the podium height to be no more than �"

"Yeah, yeah," Josh interrupted. "I know. Why does Ritchie have to be so damn tall? Any time they're in the same frame together Ritchie looks like he could step on him."

"Try for no podiums."

"He'll never go for it. Ritchie doesn't know what the hell to do with his hands."

"Try."

Josh nodded and sat down behind his desk. He hit an intercom buzzer on the phone. "Mrs. Haddon."

"Yes, Mr. Lyman."

"Could you come in here?"

"Yes, Mr. Lyman."

Mrs. Haddon was his new assistant as of three weeks ago. She'd insisted on the intercom system almost immediately, stating that she would not be bellowed out all day long. Josh reluctantly agreed because he was running out of options. Leo informed that if he lost one more assistant that was it, he was done for the year.

"Yes, Mr. Lyman?" Mrs. Haddon asked.

"I need to clear some time this afternoon for a meeting with Gormly. He's coming at three, but don't let him back here until quarter of four."

"But your last meeting is at one. You should be free by three."

Josh nodded. "Don't let him back here until quarter of four."

"Yes, Mr. Lyman."

  
Josh's head was deep into education policy regarding school vouchers. The issue was turning out to be huge with urban voters � a group that Bartlet couldn't risk alienating. Problem was some of the pilot programs were actually working and now urban voters were starting to get on board.

They were either going to have to have a serious response towards improving inner city education, or they were going to have to concede that vouchers might be a viable option.

Josh hated to concede.

"Mr. Lyman, there is a Miss Moss to see you."

Josh picked his head up at the sound of the gentle knock on his door. "Who?"

"Miss Moss. She's your three o'clock. I've kept her waiting exactly forty-five minutes as instructed."

Gormly sent a lackey. Josh snorted. Typical political bullshit. Of course so was keeping her waiting, but when he did it, it was less about bullshit and more about gamesmanship.

"Send her in."

Good, he thought. He would make this quick. He'd explain to her that he was the Deputy Chief of Staff, a very important man in this administration, and that he didn't take meetings with lackeys�

No matter how drop dead gorgeous they were.

"Mr. Lyman?"

Josh made a mental note to close his jaw. "Uh� yeah."

She stretched out her hand as she continued to meet his eyes. Josh stood and took her hand. He refused to acknowledge the zap of electricity he felt when they touched.

"I'm Donna Moss, Richard Gormly's senior assistant. I believe you were expecting me," she announced, then added. "Almost forty-five minutes ago."

"I'm a very busy man, Ms. Moss," he explained with what he knew to be his I'm-more- important-than-you-are tone.

"I'm a very busy woman, Mr. Lyman," she returned but then smiled in a way as to take the edge off her retort.

"Have a seat," he told her then sat back down in his chair.

Donna turned and saw the one chair in his office piled high with folders and briefing memos. She set her satchel down first, then cleared the chair lifting the chaos into her arms.

"Uh� you can put that� on the � uh� on the floor is good," Josh directed, wincing because it must seem that he was an unorganized mess. Which was really only mostly true.

Donna dropped the pile on the floor and pulled her seat closer to his desk. She reached into her bag and removed another folder and a pad with a pen attached to the top. "Okay, now I have a few points that I need to discuss with you�"

"I'm sorry, Ms Moss. But who did you say you were again?"

Donna tried not to huff in annoyance. "I'm Richard Gormly's senior assistant. I was told you were expecting me."

"I was expecting Richard Gormly."

"Mr. Gormly had a prior commitment but felt that I could handle most of the details that needed to be worked out for the upcoming debate."

"No, Richard Gormly's pissed because Toby called him a peabrain among other things and so he sent a lackey to do his job. He's yanking my political wanger and he knows it. And I don't appreciate it."

"I can assure you, Mr. Lyman�"

"Josh."

"Mr. Lyman - that I'm not here to yank your wanger."

Josh tried not to be turned on by the comment and failed.

"I am here to discuss the debate," Donna continued. "Now, what with me just being a senior assistant, I'm obviously not up to the level of political strategizing and gamesmanship that say� you are. Or my boss for that matter. But I do know that making someone wait almost an hour for what should be a simple and straightforward meeting is just downright petty."

"I had meetings," he lied.

"You were eating lunch and reading."

Josh looked around his office slightly freaked out. He had a sudden fear that the opposing side had managed to place hidden cameras in his office.

"The room smells like recently overdone hamburger and you've got a doggy ear in that memo on your desk that suggests you were in the middle of something and had to mark your place when I came in."

"Hey, you're good."

She smiled serenely. "I am. Now can we talk about the debate?"

He smiled back. "Nope." He watched her shoulders slump in defeat. She was good but she hadn't yet mastered the nuances of the poker face. "I'm not dealing with his assistant. If Gormly wants to do this, he's got to get over his snit and get his butt in here."

"But his, well, you know his manhood was threatened. Literally. I don't think he's going to recover that quickly and the debate is Tuesday. Surely, you want to address your candidate's needs as well�"

"My candidate is the president. And he's going to kick your candidate's ass whether we have podiums or not. And Gormly knows it. He sent you on a fool's errand, Ms. Moss. I'm sorry."

"Would it make a difference if I told you there was a wager placed on whether or not I'm able to talk you into having the meeting?"

"Gormly's against."

Donna nodded.

"How much?"

"A hundred bucks."

"You have confidence in yourself. I know what assistants make."

"I'm really very pushy when I want to be. And you are a reasonable man."

"Careful Ms. Moss I think you just flattered your opponent."

"It's Donna and you're not my opponent, your candidate, the president, is."

"How do you know I'm reasonable?"

"I saw you on Crossfire last week."

"That was Sam Seaborn."

Her face fell. "Oh that's right. I forgot. He's the reasonable one. You're the�"

Josh raised his eyebrows waiting for her to finish that sentence.

"The other reasonable one," she finished.

He chuckled but mentally applauded her recovery. "Let me get this straight, if we do this Gormly personally is out a hundred dollars?"

"And I get a new pair of shoes."

"Oh well shoes. Why didn't you say so in first place?"

"Some people aren't shoe sensitive."

Josh couldn't help it. He was intrigued. It really was a straight forward issue. And it would piss Gormly off. Forget the money. He was no doubt expecting Josh to send his assistant back with her tail tucked between her knees. Sending her at all was just a slap in the face gesture to say that he was too important for a meeting of this caliber. Besides if he did this with her now, it would not only serve to keep Gormly guessing, but there was no way he wouldn't get absolutely everything he wanted in terms of the debate. "You think you can go toe to toe with me on this?"

"In our case I think it would be more like tongue to tongue," she quipped.

Josh was pretty sure he was blushing.

Then Donna blushed. "Oh my God did I just say that? You know I meant that in the most innocent of ways� Right?"

Josh shook it off and tried to get the mental image of them going tongue to tongue out of his head. "Right. Yeah. Okay. Uh� so what were we talking about?"

"Previously shoes, then tongues, which was a huge mistake on my part, but what we really want to be talking about is podiums."

"Okay, shoot."

"We don't want them."

"You don't them," he repeated skeptically.

"No."

Josh snorted. "Yes, you do."

"No, we don't," she insisted.

"Yeah. You do."

"Is this your debating strategy? Because if it is, I have to say it's not very sophisticated."

"Listen, Donna," he began then waited to see her react to the use of her name. She didn't seem to mind so he continued. "Don't ask me why I feel the need to help you guys in any way � but trust me when I tell you that debating without the use of a podium can be very challenging."

Donna did know this. They'd spent weeks practicing with Ritchie showing him what to do with his hands.

"We don't want podiums. We prefer an enclosed forum with two stools with both candidates having the option to stand if they prefer."

"We get to regulate the height of the stools."

"Agreed," Donna nodded and jotted down a note. Then she smiled mischievously. "It's because his feet don't touch the ground isn't it?"

"I'm sorry?"

"It's why you guys always need to control the height of everything. His feet don't touch the ground on a normal stool."

"Yeah, well," Josh flubbed. "Stools can be high."

"It's okay. I'm certainly not one who thinks a president should be decided by his height. After all look at John Adams � he wasn't even five feet."

"President Bartlet is way taller than that." By at least six or so inches.

"Okay, you get the stool height. We would like control over the auditorium lighting."

"The lighting? This isn't a movie, it's a debate."

"If you don't care why does it matter?"

Because Ritchie obviously cared. "We have to approve."

"That's fine." She checked her pad. "And we would also like to add a closing statement."

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Because the parameters of the debate have already been decided. This is just cleaning up the minutia. I'm not agreeing to a change in the format."

"Will you consider it?"

"No."

"Please."

Josh laughed in her face. "Is that supposed to be your debating strategy?"

"No good?"

"You didn't honestly think I was going to be swayed by please?"

"No. But I prefer to be polite," she said primly.

"This isn't a polite business," he told her wisely.

"Yes, but shouldn't it be?"

Josh didn't really have a comeback for that.

"Well, I guess that's it," Donna finished. She stood and replaced the pad in her bag.

Josh couldn't say why but he found himself disappointed that their meeting was over so quickly. "Don't you want to even try and persuade me?"

"Can you be persuaded?"

"No."

"Then why would I try?"

"I don't know. Because it could be fun."

She smiled. "I'm pretty sure I'm out matched, Mr. Lyman."

"Josh," he substituted.

"Josh," she repeated.

"And you're right. You probably would have been out-matched," Josh added smugly.

"I did get the stools."

With no podiums, Josh finished silently. Ritchie was going to look like an idiot. "You did."

She stretched out her hand again. "It was nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," he said holding on to her hand a second longer than he should have. Then he remembered who he was and who she was and let go.

"Good luck."

"You too," Donna offered.

"You're going to need it," Josh cackled.

Donna just tilted her head and smiled. "We'll see."


	2. Montague and Capulet 2

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"Well?"

Donna smiled smugly. "You owe me a hundred bucks. And a full hour lunch break so I can go shoe shopping."

Richard's jaw dropped. "You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"He took the meeting."

"He took it and we got everything except for the closing statement."

"We didn't ask for a closing statement."

"I did. I was sort of on a roll."

Richard dropped into his chair and gaped at his assistant. "Unbelievable."

"I think he did it to annoy you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I told him about the bet."

Richard chuckled. "You look like an innocent, but at heart you're as cutthroat as the rest of us. So was he everything I told you he would be? Cold, ruthless, arrogant and smug."

Donna sat on the edge of her boss's desk. "Actually, I thought he was sort of funny. And rather reasonable."

"Uh oh," Richard announced. "That can't be good. Why reasonable?"

"Well, when I said no podiums he actually tried to talk me out of it for our own good."

Richard scowled. Then he folded his arms over his considerable belly. "Hmm. Why do you think he did that?"

"Maybe because he's seen Gov. Ritchie trying to use his hands."

Richard winced. "He's practicing!"

"I know."

"No, Lyman is nothing if not a player. Maybe they want podiums. But why?"

Donna tried not to roll her eyes.

"I saw that."

"You're paranoid, Richard."

"You don't know Lyman. If he's trying to talk us out of something it's definitely not for our own good. Unless you really got to him." Richard glanced down at her outfit. "Skirt. Nice choice."

Donna gasped. "What is that supposed to mean!"

"Now don't get all huffy."

Donna's eyes narrowed. "Richard, tell me you didn't send me over there to flirt with Josh Lyman over podiums."

"Okay," he shrugged.

"Richard!"

"What? You said not to tell you."

"I can't believe you," she said genuinely hurt. "I thought this was for real. You said you were going to start giving me more responsibility. And all you really wanted me to do was bat my eyes and flip my hair."

What was even more humiliating was that she recalled flipping her hair a number of times. And then there was the tongue comment. She groaned inwardly. How could she have said something so stupid? To Josh Lyman of all people. It's just that she'd been looking at his mouth, and one thing led to another�

Richard lifted himself out of the chair with a huff and for the hundredth time reminded himself that he needed to go on a diet. "This was for real. I truly thought he would send you packing. Maybe, I played on your looks a little bit but in this business everything is fair game and you know that."

"How do you even know he would find me attractive?"

Richard smiled ruthlessly. "Lyman's a leg man."

"You're a pig."

"So my wife tells me."

"I seriously think he was being nice."

"Not possible."

"Well, it doesn't matter. We got what we wanted. Right?"

"Oh, Donna, Donna, Donna. It's not about getting what we want. It's about them not getting what they want."

"Have I ever mentioned that politics can be ridiculous?"

"One or two hundred times."

She sighed. "You know he's right. The governor should have a podium."

"He's practicing," Richard said again.

"Tell me again why we took this job."

"Because we're Republicans. Because we're the best at what we do. And because our favorite guy wouldn't run."

"Tell me you believe in him, Richard."

"I don't have to believe him. I believe in us. That's part of politics too, Donna."

"I know."

"I know you know. You've come along way from the green intern I picked out all those years ago."

"I owe it all to you."

"Absolutely. Now, back to the podiums�."

  
"Well?"

"No podiums," Josh told CJ from the doorway of her office.

"Get out! How did you get that?"

"They offered."

"What? Who?" Toby who had been reading a paper on CJ's office couch looked up. "What are we talking about?"

"Next Tuesday's debate."

"Gormly was here?" Toby asked.

"No, he sent his assistant."

Toby looked at Josh. "You took a meeting with his assistant?"

"Only because Gormly knew I wouldn't. Don't worry about it Toby. It's under control."

"And they offered no podiums?" CJ asked again.

"I know. Strange. They must be working on his hand thing."

"What did you have to give?" Toby wanted to know.

"Nothing. Lighting, which I said we get to approve and stools, but we get to control the height."

CJ grimaced. "I hate him on stools. He looks short on stools."

"Because he is short," Toby said. "It's done. And it doesn't matter. Either way we're going to wipe the floor with him. Who's his assistant?"

"Donna Moss. Ever heard of her?"

"Vaguely," Toby answered. "Gormly's been working down south for the last few years. This is the first time he's been back in the national picture in a few campaigns. He's kicked my butt on several occasions. It's going to be a special thrill to return the favor."

"Yeah, well he's made a huge mistake with the podiums."

Toby shook and folded his paper. "We'll see. Gormly is not known for making mistakes."

  
"�And that is how we have to address our nation's energy problems," Bartlet summarized.

The small crowd applauded.

"Thank you Mr. President, Governor Ritchie. This concludes our debate. We look forward to many more conversations in the near future. Thank you and goodnight."

"And we're out!" the producer called from the behind the stage.

Josh came up behind CJ who was standing off to their side of the stage. Leo was escorting the president a group of contributors who needed their hands shook. "What do you think?"

"I think if those stools were any lower Ritchie's knees would have been up around his ears. He looked like a giant. No more stools," she hissed.

"Got it. But we killed him. I mean did you see his hands?" Josh could see Ritchie heading for the opposite side of the stage. His people were there to greet him. If Josh was looking a little harder for a particular blond in the dark wing of the stage, he didn't acknowledge it to himself.

"We took a hit on education," Toby said, approaching from behind.

"It wasn't a direct hit," Josh countered, but then nodded. "I'm working on it."

"Let's go. Sam's doing opinion and I want to watch."

Just then Josh saw Donna emerge from a curtain. She was clearly looking for something that Ritchie must have dropped on the stage.

"Josh," CJ said. "You coming?"

"I'll be right there." He waited a beat until they left and then walked out onto the empty stage plus one.

"Nice shoes."

Donna jumped, then smiled when she saw Josh. She tilted her leg out at an alluring angle to show her new pump in its best light. "I think so."

"What are you doing?"

"He dropped a pen," she said turning her gaze back to the floor. "Oh, there it is. Got it."

"I warned you about the podiums," he told her with a little bit of a smirk.

The hands had been pretty bad. At times too much, at times not enough. But they were definitely an improvement. "Yeah, well, we're working on it." Donna lifted her chin. "We kicked your butt on education."

"Yeah, well, we're working on it," he mimicked. "Come on, you seriously don't believe that draining money away from the public school system is any solution to fixing the problem of public education."

"I think you've lost your objective," she retaliated. "It's not about fixing a failing system it's about finding the best way to education students."

Josh snapped his mouth shut. He didn't want to debate with her. He didn't know exactly what else he wanted to do, but it definitely wasn't that.

"So you're a Republican?"

Donna laughed. "You say that like I've chosen a life of crime."

He opened his mouth to respond but she stopped him.

"Don't say it."

"You don't know what I was going to say."

"It would have been cliché."

"It would have been witty," he returned. "Let me ask you this. Do you seriously believe he's the best man for the job?"

"Do you seriously expect me to answer that? So you can turn around and give my answer to Time magazine."

"No, I guess not," he shrugged. It sort of served to illustrate the inherit problem with continuing this conversation. She couldn't trust him. And he couldn't trust her.

"Well, I've got to go."

"I should go to," she said a little sadly.

"Hey, are you hungry? Because I can never eat before these things and I'm starving."

Donna opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again. Her expression pretty much said it all.

"I guess not."

"We � shouldn't. I mean you're you and Richard would kill me."

"Yeah, Toby wouldn't be too happy either. You know I would say good luck� but I'm really hoping you guys lose."

Donna smiled. "Right back at you."

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, turned and started to walk away. Donna thought that what she was about to do might be the single biggest mistake she'd ever made in her life. Why was it that she could recognize these moments when they occurred, but do nothing to prevent her actions?

"You know Charlie's is a great deli."

Josh pivoted on his heels. "I'm sorry?"

"You mentioned that you were hungry. And Charlie's, off of Connecticut, is really good and he's open all night."

"I never heard of the place."

"I go there a lot. I work late, obviously, and he's stays open until two. And he makes really good chicken salad."

"I like chicken salad," Josh said enigmatically.

"Then you should go there � sometime. You would like it."

"I'll keep that in mind," he smiled and turned again this time leaving for good.

  
Donna cut her chicken salad sandwich in half and reached for a sip of her iced tea. She called herself every kind of fool for coming here, but simultaneously knew she was powerless to stop herself.

Maybe he wouldn't show up. Maybe he was smarter than she was and knew that continuing any kind of thing with a member of the opposing candidate's team was futile, dangerous, and dumb.

Not that the thing had to be a romantic thing. It could just be a friendship thing.

Donna rolled her eyes. Who was she kidding? She'd been thinking about him practically non-stop for days. Worse she'd been thinking about his tongue. Worse than that she'd been wondering what he thought of her legs.

"Pathetic," she muttered to herself. That's what she was. It was just that it had been so long since she'd felt this way about someone. So long since she'd been excited by the prospect of seeing someone again. For the past five years, after the disastrous end of her relationship with Dr. Dudd, she'd committed herself to her career. Sure there had been dates. Cliff still called occasionally, but there hadn't been anyone she'd been willing to sacrifice her precious private time for.

But deciding that Josh Lyman, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Bartlet was that person, ranked right up there with her decision to drop out of school to support Dr. Dudd. Fortunately, she'd been able to correct that mistake before it was too late and caused lasting damage.

And she would correct this too. She'd pack up her sandwich, ask for a bag and go home. It was the only sane rational thing to do.

That's when the front door opened and Josh Lyman, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President Bartlet, walked in.

She felt her stomach leap in that silly way that it does when the person you're trying not to wait for, but are really waiting for, actually shows up. He spotted her and she forced herself to breathe.

"Hey. I didn't think you'd be here tonight," he lied.

"It was a last minute decision," she lied.

"I don't think there would be a problem with me getting a chicken salad sandwich and sitting here with you to eat it," he lied. "Right?"

"No. I mean this was just an accident," she lied.

He smiled. "A good accident." He went to order and Donna turned her head to watch him.

"We'll see." 


	3. Montague and Capulet 3

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


Josh sat at what he liked to refer to as their table and reached for a French fry from the basket he'd already strategically located in the center of the table. He'd learned very early on that Donna was a food sharer.

Typically, he ordered whatever he wanted - that she approved of, and she ordered chicken salad and they swapped halves. Plus a basket of fries for the table and they were good to go.

Tonight would be the fifth such meeting after eleven at Charlie's. It was sort of becoming a habit. It was also becoming increasingly evident that neither one of them wanted to break it.

Josh scowled while he chomped down on the crispy fry. He'd tried to justify this thing a million different ways. They were just two political rivals sharing conversation and food a few nights a week. They were nothing more than friends. He was using her to extract information from his opponent. He was allowing her to use him to extract information about Bartlet's campaign strategy, which he was purposefully manipulating. It was all about work and politics really.

But he knew it was a lie.

The other reason he might be meeting her in secret was simply because he was falling for her, but since that seemed to be the most ridiculous of all the options, he dismissed it.

He was not falling for a Republican. And he was certainly not falling for a Republican who was working, albeit indirectly, for Ritchie. For heaven's sake, a man had limits!

So what was he doing seated at a back table with a roast beef special at ten of midnight in a crappy little deli in the middle of DC?

A bell sounded above the door and he watched Donna with her impossibly blond hair, and soft skin breeze through the door. She spotted him and smiled and like a doofball he smiled back.

She spotted the sandwich he'd already ordered and frowned.

"You're late," he said in his defense. "And I was hungry."

"What is it?"

"Roast beef special."

"With Russian dressing?"

"Of course."

"Acceptable. But if you eat one more fry before I get back with my sandwich, I can't be held accountable for my actions."

"Go. And tell him no lettuce."

"I like lettuce," she complained, then compromised. "On half?"

"Okay." He smiled again and she smiled and for a minute they just enjoyed the fact that they were seeing each other again.

Each of the previous four times they had met they always left it as if they were never going to do this again. "Good luck, hope you lose, maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

Then inevitably one of them would mention that they would probably be at Charlie's on Tuesday or Thursday and inevitably the other would show up.

Donna left to order her sandwich and Josh was left to once again think about what the hell he was doing.

She returned, this time with the sandwich pre-cut.

"I think Charlie's on to us."

"I know. He cut my sandwich too."

They swapped and settled down to eat.

"How come you're late?" Josh asked conversationally.

"I had to prepare this memo on our strategy for �.uh� something."

"Sorry. I didn't mean�" he began.

"No, that's okay. I just wasn't thinking. Remember the rule."

"No politics," Josh supplied, which should have made conversation between them all but impossible. After all politics was his life, it was in his blood, in his heart, and his head 99 percent of the time. Any serious relationship he'd ever had had been with someone in politics who was also a democrat. He'd never considered anyone else. Who else would understand him?

But Donna didn't seem to have a problem with that.

He watched as she took a handful of fries, looking at him the whole time as if she was waiting for him to object and clearly ready to offer a response.

"Tell me why you're a republican."

She sighed a little, disappointed that he wasn't going to challenge her fry consumption. That was easy. This was not so easy.

"My dad owned his own business when I was growing up. Politically, it made sense for him to support the republican platform. I guess a lot of that rubbed off on me. And other things."

"But you don't agree with everything."

She considered her words then finally said. "No."

"Like what?"

"Josh, we can't talk about this."

"Why not? This is theory. This isn't the election."

"Because if I said I didn't agree with the republican's platform on abortion you could use that against Ritchie quoting a top political aide, which I'm not but it's amazing how the press likes to deal out promotions when it's convenient for them, doesn't agree with the governor's view on blah blah blah."

Josh slid down into his chair. "I wouldn't do that. If we're going to keep doing this then I think we need another rule. Something like� off the record. Reporters do it. Once you say off the record they can't use whatever you say against you in print."

"Off the record?"

"Yeah."

"Off the record I don't agree with the Republican Party's platform on abortion," she admitted. "Now you."

Josh raised his brows and considered this. There wasn't a whole lot he disagreed with on the Democratic Party platform. Hell, he'd helped write a lot of it. But this was a question of trust. "Off the record I think President Bartlet was wrong not to disclose his medical condition."

"Well, duh! Everybody knows that."

"That's a big admission for me."

"I guess." Donna allowed. "You guys were all pretty tight lipped. A real unified unit. I envied that."

"That's the way it's got to be."

Donna nodded solemnly. "Off the record I actually considered applying for a job on Bartlet's first election campaign. I may have republican sensibilities but sometimes the "who" is just as important to me as the "what". But then Richard found me working on the floor of Congress, quickly realized that I had no idea I shouldn't be working as hard as I was for what I was making and took advantage of that for his own nefarious purposes. And the rest as they say is history."

"Off the record I never would have hired a republican."

For that she tossed a French fry at his nose.

He laughed and they continued their meal dealing with only the most superficial topics.

  
"She is not."

"She is too.

"No way."

"Way."

Later that night they walked together toward Donna's apartment companionably discussing the really important questions of the day.

"Josh, you can't honestly consider Tracy Lords a serious actress."

"Just because she used to do porn movies, doesn't mean�"

"I'm not saying she's not an actress because she used to do porn, I'm saying she's not an actress because she stinks. But one theory that you might want to consider is that most women consider doing porn because they can't get any real parts. You know why?"

"Because they are so incredibly good looking that other women are jealous?"

Donna shook her head. "It's because they stink."

"Yeah, but if you could have seen what she did in this one movie�the woman's got talent."

"Josh, I'm licking an ice cream cone here. Can we not discuss porn movie tricks?"

At her use of the word licking, he instinctively turned in time to see her tongue dart out to lick the chocolate cone. He had to struggle to smother the groan that started low in his gut.

"Now if you wanted to talk Anna Nicole�"

His jaw dropped. "You're not going to say she's an actress."

"She has to be. Nobody is that dumb and ends up with a billion dollars. I'm telling you she's a conniving genius and the voice and the body is all just for entertainment. She's really mocking us."

"Okay," he muttered. He reached for the cone, but Donna held on to it a second too long. "Can't I have a lick?"

"Uh�" He wanted to lick the cone that she'd been licking. With her tongue. This was a step and she said as much.

"What step?"

"A step."

"A step towards what?"

"You know," Donna said and made an airy motion with her hand.

He thought he knew right up until the hand gesture. "I just want a taste."

"I know," Donna replied as if that was evident.

"So can I have one?" he asked still slightly confused.

"Don't you think we should talk about this first?"

"Okay. Well, let me lay out my reasoning."

"That's a good idea."

"You see I really like chocolate as a flavor. Now I can be swayed by vanilla with chocolate sauce but for the most part�"

"Josh," Donna chastised batting his arm with her free hand. "I'm being serious."

They stopped having reached the steps of her apartment. A weak street light gave off enough light to see by. Josh wanted to tell her that she was beautiful in the lamp light. He'd thought so the last few times he'd walked her home.

"I know," he answered. "I just don't want to be serious. Not yet."

Grudgingly, she handed him the cone and he took a lick and handed it back to her. "Good," he mumbled.

Donna looked at the cone then at him. He had a smudge of ice cream in the corner of his mouth. She took a step closer and reached out to wipe the ice-cream away with her thumb. As soon as she made contact with his bottom lip, she froze. The air stilled between them and their eyes locked. Donna tried to pull her hand away but he caught it.

"Don't," she whispered.

"I think we have to."

"If we do it will change everything."

"And that would be bad?" She simply looked at him and he sighed. "Yeah, I guess it would be bad."

"Right now we're not really doing anything wrong."

"I'm not all that sure we would be doing something wrong if we � you know if I �"

"Had more of my ice-cream?"

"Okay, I think we need to get off the ice-cream analogy."

Donna tossed the cone in a nearby trash can but continued to let Josh hold her hand. "What if we �."

"Had passionate sex?"

She tilted her head and frowned at him.

"I ran out of analogies," he defended himself.

"What I was going to say was, what if we vetted � us."

Josh was searching for some sort of sexual reference in there but he couldn't find it. "You lost me."

"What if I talked to my people and you talked to your people and we threw out the idea of two single unattached people of different political affiliations but similar taste in music and movies�"

"And tennis. We both like tennis."

"Right. And tennis. And we found out what they would think of the idea of these two people possibly engaging in something more than friendship."

"You want me to ask Toby if I can have sex with a republican on Ritchie's team?"

She frowned again. "It sounded a lot better the way I phrased it."

"He's not going to like it."

"Neither would Richard," Donna added.

The weight of the truth settled between them.

"So I guess this is it?" Josh asked, but he already knew the answer.

"I guess."

"I'm going to miss the chicken salad," Josh admitted.

"You know that would have sounded a lot more romantic if you had said you were going to miss me."

He smiled and squeezed her hand. She got the message.

"You know I would say good luck�" he began.

"But I'm really hoping you guys lose," Donna finished with a smile. She took her hand back and climbed up the stairs to the door of her building. She stopped and turned. "Off the record�"

"Yeah?"

"I�.," she looked down and took a breath. "I'm going to miss the chicken salad too."

"Good-bye Donna Moss."

"Good-bye Josh Lyman." This time she opened the door and stepped inside.

Josh waited until the door closed behind her. He turned and headed back down the street and thought that for the first time, he actually resented his job. 


	4. Montague and Capulet 4

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"Hey." CJ stopped in Josh's door.

"What?" he snapped jerking his head up at the interruption.

"What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," he insisted.

"Then you've been walking around for the past two weeks with a spur up your butt."

"Did you need something?"

"I need you take the spur out of your butt."

He scowled at her, but she was not intimidated.

"We've got another debate coming up in two weeks. Toby and I want you to handle it."

"Why?"

"Because Toby and Gormly can't be in the same room together without casting aspersions at one another. One's fat, one's bald, you do math on how many barbs they can deliver in an hour and not get anything accomplished. Besides things went relatively smoothly between you and Gormly's assistant."

"Gormly's assistant?"

"Yes. Gormly must have felt the same way, either that or he's still pissed about the penis comment, because his people contacted our people and arranged a meet for tomorrow."

Josh felt his heart leap into his throat. He was hoping it was something he ate for lunch and not a reaction to the fact that he was going to be seeing Donna tomorrow, but since he didn't have any lunch - Mrs. Haddon also refused to fetch for him - it was probably about Donna.

He felt like a ten year old and that only irritated him more.

"I don't think I should do it."

CJ, who had been about to leave, turned around. "Why?"

"Because�." His mind was blank. "I don't want to?"

"Tough."

"It's really not my area?"

"The campaign isn't your area?"

"I'm busy?"

CJ simply stared at him.

"Fine."

"What's this about, Josh?"

"Nothing," he muttered sourly. He could do this. This was not an issue. He'd see Donna, they'd do the thing and that would be that. They were adults. And it's not like they had anything between them. A few late night dinners. Hell, they hadn't even kissed. He was overacting.

"Please tell me this isn't about her."

"Who her?" Josh asked innocently, amazed at his ability to deceive.

CJ laughed, but cautiously. "Right. Of course this couldn't be about her. Because you know she's a republican."

"I hope so for Gormly's sake," he said casually.

CJ nodded. "And you normally go for brunettes."

He used to go for brunettes. Now he went for chicken salad. "CJ get real. Do you seriously think I would have anything to do with a blond republican who's working for Ritchie?" Josh fought the urge to raise his eyes to the ceiling to watch the lightening strike.

At that moment Sam happened to be walking by the office and stopped dead in his tracks. He poked his head in the office, a horrible expression on his face. "Did you just say Ainsley is working for Ritchie?"

"Not that blond republican," CJ said. "The other one."

"There's another one? Hey, we should hire her� to replace Ainsley."

"We're not replacing Ainsely," CJ said. "Beside do any of us actually believe it's conceivable that there could be two reasonable semi-nice and very smart blond republicans walking around?"

"Good point," Sam muttered.

"I'm going. Josh, tomorrow. Four o'clock."

CJ left and Sam sat down. "Who is your blond republican?"

"She's not my blond republican," Josh snapped.

"Okay."

Josh eyed up Sam for a minute. "So you and Ainsley?

"What about me and Ainsley?"

"Did you two ever� you know."

"No."

"Because she was a republican?"

"No," Sam stated.

"Oh." Josh paused for a beat then asked. "Did you ever consider it?"

"Yes."

"You did!"

"I'm sorry, you met Ainsley right. She's petite and blond. You know I have a thing for petite blonds. Sort of like your thing for brunettes."

"It's not a thing for brunettes," Josh muttered. But he tried to remember a non-brunette girlfriend and failed.

"But we didn't because it would have been wrong," Sam finished. "We worked together."

"So you're saying two people who don't work together have a better chance of a successful relationship."

Sam considered the question. "Yes."

"What about now? Would you consider taking her out now?"

"No."

"Why?" Josh pressed.

"Because I really don't think she likes me all that much," Sam admitted.

Josh closed his eyes and struggled for patience. "But let's say she did. Would you take her out?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I have morbid fascination with your love life, just answer the question."

"You are asking me - if I felt that Ainsley was attracted to me - would I ask her out even though she's a blond republican sex kitten?"

"Pretty much."

"I think so."

"Good."

"Why good?"

"I'm a romantic?"

"Your idea of date is making the girl hold your beer while you cheer during a televised Mets game."

"That can be romantic."

"Okay," Sam allowed. He got up to leave and stopped. "Do you think Ainsley might be attracted to me?"

"I don't know," Josh said already dismissing him having already gotten the answer he wanted.

"I'll tell you one thing though I couldn't date her if she was actually working for the enemy."

"Right," Josh muttered. "That would be ridiculous."

"And dangerous. And foolish. And possibly detrimental to the election and �"

"I get the point."

Sam looked at his friend so clearly in distress. "Good."

  
Donna announced her arrival to a guard in the lobby of the West Wing and two minutes later Mrs. Haddon came out to greet her.

"Mr. Lyman's running a bit behind."

Donna nodded. "He's keeping me waiting on purpose again."

"He's running a bit behind," Mrs. Haddon repeated.

"Could you let Mr. Lyman know I'm leaving in ten minutes."

The older woman opened her mouth and then closed it. She turned and walked through two swinging doors. Three minutes later she returned. "Mr. Lyman will see you now."

"Thank you."

Donna gathered up her satchel and another bag she'd brought with her. She followed the woman through doors down a hallway, at one point dodging out of the way of running assistant. A series of bullpens were to her right, Josh's office was to the left she recalled from last time. She also remembered the feverish atmosphere. The pace of the place was almost insane.

She took a deep breath and turned the corner into his office, steeling herself one more time for the impact of seeing Josh again.

He was standing behind his desk with his sleeves rolled up his forearms. He had nice forearms.

He glanced up as if her presence was surprise when he damn well knew she was on her way and Donna had to remind herself that this was Josh Lyman. He was a player in this business, which meant in part he was an actor. If he was in anyway anxious or nervous or even dared she hope eager for this meeting, he didn't show it. Part of her wished she could objectively look at this and learn from him. The other part wanted to whack him upside the head with the bag in her hand.

"Hey," he said to Donna. "Thanks Mrs. Haddon."

"Can I get you anything?"

Donna shook her head.

"That will be all," Josh said. "And can you close the door behind you."

Donna looked around the office for a place to put her bag. "I can see you cleaned up for the meeting." The place was littered with paper, folders, binders and piles. Lots and lots of piles.

"You're being sarcastic, right?"

She smiled.

"Ten minutes?"

"I was playing hardball."

"Hardball would have been two."

"I'll remember that for next time."

Josh pointed to the bag in her hand. "What's that?"

Donna pointed to a similar bag on his desk. "What's that?"

They looked at each other then and felt the air charge between them. Josh circled his desk and picked up the bag. Donna moved toward him reaching into her own bag at the same time.

They both pulled out chicken salad sandwiches.

Josh looked at his sandwich and hers. "You think this means something?"

"We both really missed chicken salad?"

Simultaneously, they dropped their sandwiches and reached for one another. Anybody walking past Josh's office at that moment might have heard a thump against door. Or not. Neither of them cared.

He pressed his body against hers from thigh to shoulder, kissing her as if he'd kissed her a thousand times before. There was no hesitation, no consideration, no thoughts at all. Just the feel of her mouth opening under his, the feel of her hands wrapping around his back. Her hair fell over his fingers as he cupped her face in his palms tilting her head slightly to get a better angle. To go deeper, to pull her deeper into him.

Dark hair had never felt so soft.

He needed to breathe or he wouldn't have let her go. Because he knew as soon as he let her go reality would intrude. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers not ready yet to meet her eyes because he wasn't sure what he would find there. Puffs of breath escaped them both and broke the silence of the room.

"Say something," Josh insisted.

"You go first."

Josh tried to think of something sane, rational, intelligent and mature. He glanced down and saw the two sandwiches wrapped in clear wrap that had fallen on folders on his floor.

"Do you think we can still eat those?"


	5. Montague and Capulet 5

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


They barely made it to Josh's apartment. After they came to their senses in his office, Josh had acted quickly. He'd explained to Mrs. Haddon that they had ruined their lunch and had decided to take their meeting on the road. During that time Donna had worked feverishly to keep her hair over face to hide what she knew was a color of red heretofore unknown to man.

They'd walked calmly out of the West Wing and had only started to run once they spotted Josh's car.

After a passionate interlude that left them mostly naked in the foyer of Josh's aparment, Donan asked him what was next.

"Now we order food and discuss podiums."

"Here?"

Josh shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous." Then he caught her hand and tugged her behind him. "In bed."

It wasn't until much later that the great podium debate commenced. Charlie's it seemed delivered and Josh met the man at the door in nothing but his t-shirt and boxers. He could practically see the old codger peering over his shoulder in search of Donna, but she had remained anonymous in his bedroom.

He returned with a bottle of wine that some Congressman's assistant had given him and a bag filled with sandwiches and a super large order of chili fries. Donna had set up a picnic area in the middle of his bed using his bath towels to protect his spread.

She still wore his shirt, which for whatever reason pleased him immensely. After all if he couldn't have her all naked all the time, dressed in his clothes it seemed to lend a sense of intimacy to their bedroom picnic.

"Do you have napkins?" she asked when he re-entered the room.

Josh checked the bag. "I have napkins?"

"Do you have forks?"

"I have forks."

"Can I have a closing statement?"

Josh stopped mid-stride while Donna smiled innocently from her perch on the bed.

"That wasn't even remotely smooth."

"Yes, it was. I almost caught you."

He sat on the bed and handed her the bag then realizing he forgot glasses simply took a slug from the bottle. Smirking, he informed her, "No, you didn't."

Donna reached for the bottle and took her own slug and chased it with a fry covered in chili. "Do we have to talk about this now? Can't we just be?"

"What's Richard going to ask you first thing tomorrow?" Josh asked knowingly.

"Why I didn't come back to the office after our meeting."

"Exactly. Which means you at least have to have all the points addressed. You can tell him I played hard ball and it took all night."

"Are you going to play hardball?"

He smiled again. "Is there any other way to play?"

"Well, there's softball."

"That's for girls," Josh sneered.

"I'm a girl," she crooned, stretching out her body on the bed.

His eyes followed a trail down her exposed smooth, white and awfully pretty legs. "Yep." Then his eye narrowed. "Hey, you're not trying to seduce me into giving you what you want?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

"Good."

"I'll trade you two nights sex for a closing statement."

Josh sighed. "This is going to be a long night isn't it?"

Donna merely smiled and reached for another fry.

  
"Off the record� he so doesn't know what he's doing with his hands. Hiccup!" Donna laughed and took another swig of wine. They were both tipsy, and full and � happy.

"Off the record� the President is short," Josh snorted.

"That's not off the record. That's fact. Off the record� Richard really wanted McCann to run."

"Off the record� we're glad he didn't," Josh admitted.

Donna sat up for a moment. She'd been leaning against his chest her butt in his lap, his legs sprawled out next to hers. She turned and looked at him over her shoulder. "I don't know if I can do this, Josh."

He was not so sure what she meant by that. This as in them, or this as in work.

She rolled off the bed and stood on somewhat shaky legs. "It's not just that we believe in different things�"

Uh oh. She meant this as in them.

"Do you believe in free speech, free religion, a strong economy, and helping people in need?"

"Yes."

"See, I knew you were a Democrat."

She laughed softly, but she knew he was just stalling. "Josh, I'm working against you. I have to. I owe Richard everything."

"You owe him your life?"

"In a way. He gave me a chance. He didn't treat me like some dumb blonde assistant who was good for fetching coffee. He's given me a chance to play a part in a presidential election and I don't want to blow it."

Josh rolled off the bed and faced her. "I'm not stopping you. And I think if you're honest with yourself you're not so much worried about me as you are you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't believe in him, Donna."

"Off the record�."

"Okay."

"I don't believe in him." She slumped back on the bed. "Politics sucks."

Josh knelt down in front of her and rested his hands on her knees. "It's the business you have chosen."

"Did you ever work for someone you didn't believe in?"

"For the first ten years of my career," he told her. "I'm lucky now. I realize that. But you've got to understand sometimes it's not about the man, it's about being part of something bigger."

"That's what Richard says."

"Richard is not an idiot. As much as Toby would like him to be."

"Doesn't it bother you to know that the person you're sleeping with is working against you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well, mostly because I know I'm going to win."

"Josh�"

"And because I trust you," he added. "Sometimes that's a hard call. And sometimes it backfires. But deep down I know you're not here because you're scheming for some way to help your candidate. You're here because you can't help yourself."

"I trust you too."

"Yeah, you really shouldn't," he joked. "I'm a lot more ruthless than you are."

"Josh�"

"I think maybe we can do this. Trust me. I've done this longer."

"Slept with blond republicans?"

"No, you're my first in that regard. I just meant juggling life and politics."

"You really think we can do this?"

He looked at her then and thought about all the women he'd dated in his life, the brunette democrats, and thought that as much as their ideology meshed their lives never had. He didn't agree with Donna on much, but he wouldn't be surprised if somehow they ended up being � a team.

"Yeah. I really think we can."

"Kay. Can I have a closing statement now?"

"Okay, still not close to being smooth."

Donna smiled evilly. "I'll let you see my breasts for a closing argument."

Josh returned her evil smile with one of his own. "Oh, you'll let me see them anyway," he said reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

Donna giggled. "You're right."


	6. Montague and Capulet 5 Adult Version

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"Do you think anyone saw us?"

Donna reached for the buttons of Josh's shirt. She'd managed to lose his tie in the hallway during their last stop. Now he had her pressed against yet another door, this time the one to his apartment. Josh, it seemed, was on some internal timer that was set to go off every five minutes and when it did � he kissed her.

As far as Donna was concerned � it wasn't such a bad system.

After they came to their senses in his office, Josh had acted quickly. He'd explained to Mrs. Haddon that they had ruined their lunch and had decided to take their meeting on the road. During that time Donna had worked feverishly to keep her hair over face to hide what she knew was a color of red heretofore unknown to man.

They'd walked calmly out of the West Wing and had only started to run once they spotted Josh's car.

"Do you care?" he asked as he carelessly tossed her blazer on the floor, only to press his mouth once more against her neck. Her skin was so damn soft there, right beneath her ear. That softness in combination with her scent made his head spin.

Wanting more of that skin revealed Josh pulled back and stared down at the simple white silk blouse she wore underneath her blazer, counting the buttons he needed to undo. Fifteen. Fifteen was a lot of damn buttons. "What kind of shirt has so many buttons?"

Donna followed his gaze and sensed that patience wasn't going to be Josh's strong suit. She quickly began undoing the buttons herself in an effort to save the shirt. It was one of her favorites.

Happy that that situation was being dealt with, Josh moved onto her skirt. Pulling the zipper down, he watched the sleek navy material slide down her endlessly long legs. She stepped out of the skirt and the reality of her in stockings and heels and nothing else was enough to send every last ounce of blood he had flowing to his cock.

"Oh god," he muttered, pulling her mouth closer so he could have another taste. He thrust this tongue deep and let himself absorb the soft velvety texture of her mouth. Her tongue played with his shyly and for a moment he wondered if he was overwhelming her with his need. It was just that he'd been wanting her, it seemed, forever.

Then he felt her hands grab his ass and her one leg lift along his thigh to bring his erection in closer contact with where she needed him the most. Now he was being overwhelmed.

"Donna, don't," he pleaded as she began to rock her hips against him. "I'm too close."

"Kay."

"I can't wait."

"Kay," she sighed again letting her head roll against the door while her hips rolled against his.

"I'm serious. I'm going to do you against the door."

"Hmmm."

Enough said. He reached for her hips and stripped her of her stockings. Falling to his knees he lifted her out of first one pump, then the other, looking up at her the whole time. Her shirt dangled and he saw that she still wore her bra. How the heck had he let that happen?

"Take it off." His voice was little more than a harsh whisper and he sincerely hoped she wasn't offended by his order, but he really wanted to see her breasts.

Smiling seductively, she shrugged her shoulders letting the silk material slide off her arms. Then she reached for the front clasp on her white lace bra. She paused for a second enjoying the look of anticipation in his face, then satisfied him by undoing the clasp and letting the lingerie fall to the floor.

Her stockings gone, the only thing that remained was a barely there white thong, which Josh was without even realizing it, pulling down her thighs while his eyes remained pinned to her breasts. The thong dispensed with, he sat back on his haunches and looked his fill.

It wasn't until Donna realized she was completely naked pressed up against the door of his apartment and Josh was still mostly dressed, that she began to feel somewhat self conscious. She started to cross her arms over her midriff but Josh caught her hands.

He stood up slowly and brought her arms around his neck.

"I'm naked," she whispered against his cheek, knowing she was blushing furiously again.

"You're beautiful," he said gently kissing her. He'd been in such a hurry before, but now faced with so much creamy white skin, he found himself wanting to linger. His hands cupped her perfectly rounded breasts and he sucked her gasp into his mouth when his fingers closed around her tight nipples.

He lowered his head and took one of the nipples into his mouth and felt her hands clutch his head and puller her closer. He mouthed the breast and wondered if he would ever get his fill of her. Of her taste, her scent, her softness.

"Josh, please."

He pulled back and saw that her breast was red from his mouth and wanted to duplicate that exact color on her other one. "Please what?"

"You're shirt�."

He pulled off his oxford, Donna having previously taken care of the buttons, but left his T-shirt on. Instead, he reached for his belt buckle and surprisingly managed to undo it with very unsteady hands. He kicked off his shoes using his hands pinned against the door on either side of her head for balance.

He'd just about made it when he felt her hand dip into the opening of his pants and cup his erection in her palm. She squeezed and it was everything he could do to keep him from coming right then.

"Doooonnna," he groaned and chastised her at the same time.

"Joooossshhh," she teased, running her hands along the base of his cock, freeing him from confines of his pants and boxers, then gently brushing her knuckles against his now tight balls below.

It was the brush that did it. With little finesse but true passion he backed her hips against the door, used his hands to steady her and thrust deep. He heard her head knock against the door and forced himself to open his eyes.

"Okay?"

In response she lifted her leg high on his hip and ground her body down on him instinctively trying to take more, to drive him deeper.

There was no push and pull. No thrust and parry. There was less of a need to stroke as there was simply to stay connected hip to hip, mouth to mouth, body to body. Josh reached down between their bodies and found her clit hot and wet and swollen. The slightest touch sent her over the edge and trembling in his arms. He could hear her crying softly. He could feel the internal walls of her sheath gripping him. The agony was delicious as every pulse of her body sent a stoke beating against his cock coaxing him to join her.

Rather than pull back, he simply pressed deeper and in that one motion felt her tighten even harder around him. He exploded and felt his come spilling out of him in away it never had before. The intensity of it made him dizzy. He leaned against her using the door to hold them both up. But he wouldn't leave her. He couldn't.

"Are you okay?" He didn't know why it was important to ask, but he knew it was. His mouth was pressed against her cheek and he whispered the words in her ear.

"It's never going to be the same," she cried, hugging him tightly to her body.

Josh pulled away, far enough to disengage their bodies, but not far enough away to escape her hold.

"What's never going to be same?"

"Huh?" she asked, almost as if coming out of haze.

"You said it wasn't going to be the same."

"What isn't?"

"That's what I'm asking � never mind. Are you okay?"

She nodded and smiled. "Are you?"

"I didn't use anything."

"I'm on the pill."

"Oh."

"For period regulation."

"Okay," he said ridiculously relieved.

"Why is it that as soon as a woman tells a guy she's on the pill he assumes she's having sex with ten different guys every night?" she teased.

"Because men are jerks."

Satisfied, she nodded. "Good answer. So what happens now?"

Josh pulled up his boxers, but kicked out of his pants. Then he leaned down and handed Donna his shirt, which she accepted. "Now we order food and discuss podiums."

"Here?"

Josh shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous." Then he caught her hand and tugged her behind him. "In bed."

It wasn't until much later that the great podium debate commenced. Charlie's it seemed delivered and Josh met the man at the door in nothing but his t-shirt and boxers. He could practically see the old codger peering over his shoulder in search of Donna, but she had remained anonymous in his bedroom.

He returned with a bottle of wine that some Congressman's assistant had given him and a bag filled with sandwiches and a super large order of chili fries. Donna had set up a picnic area in the middle of his bed using his bath towels to protect his spread.

She still wore his shirt, which for whatever reason pleased him immensely. After all if he couldn't have her all naked all the time, dressed in his clothes it seemed to lend a sense of intimacy to their bedroom picnic.

"Do you have napkins?" she asked when he re-entered the room.

Josh checked the bag. "I have napkins?"

"Do you have forks?"

"I have forks."

"Can I have a closing statement?"

Josh stopped mid-stride while Donna smiled innocently from her perch on the bed.

"That wasn't even remotely smooth."

"Yes, it was. I almost caught you."

He sat on the bed and handed her the bag then realizing he forgot glasses simply took a slug from the bottle. Smirking, he informed her, "No, you didn't."

Donna reached for the bottle and took her own slug and chased it with a fry covered in chili. "Do we have to talk about this now? Can't we just be?"

"What's Richard going to ask you first thing tomorrow?" Josh asked knowingly.

"Why I didn't come back to the office after our meeting."

"Exactly. Which means you at least have to have all the points addressed. You can tell him I played hard ball and it took all night."

"Are you going to play hardball?"

He smiled again. "Is there any other way to play?"

"Well, there's softball."

"That's for girls," Josh sneered.

"I'm a girl," she crooned, stretching out her body on the bed.

His eyes followed a trail down her exposed smooth, white and awfully pretty legs. "Yep." Then his eye narrowed. "Hey, you're not trying to seduce me into giving you what you want?"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

"Good."

"I'll trade you two nights sex for a closing statement."

Josh sighed. "This is going to be a long night isn't it?"

Donna merely smiled and reached for another fry.

  
"Off the record� he so doesn't know what he's doing with his hands. Hiccup!" Donna laughed and took another swig of wine. They were both tipsy, and full and � happy.

"Off the record� the President is short," Josh snorted.

"That's not off the record. That's fact. Off the record� Richard really wanted to McCann to run."

"Off the record� we're glad he didn't," Josh admitted.

Donna sat up for a moment. She'd been leaning against his chest her butt in his lap, his legs sprawled out next to hers. She turned and looked at him over her shoulder. "I don't know if I can do this, Josh."

He was not so sure what she meant by that. This as in them, or this as in work.

She rolled off the bed and stood on somewhat shaky legs. "It's not just that we believe in different things�"

Uh oh. She meant this as in them.

"Do you believe in free speech, free religion, a strong economy, and helping people in need?"

"Yes."

"See, I knew you were a Democrat."

She laughed softly, but she knew he was just stalling. "Josh, I'm working against you. I have to. I owe Richard everything."

"You owe him your life?"

"In a way. He gave me a chance. He didn't treat me like some dumb blonde assistant who was good for fetching coffee. He's given me a chance to play a part in a presidential election and I don't want to blow it."

Josh rolled off the bed and faced her. "I'm not stopping you. And I think if you're honest with yourself you're not so much worried about me as you are you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't believe in him, Donna."

"Off the record�."

"Okay."

"I don't believe in him." She slumped back on the bed. "Politics sucks."

Josh knelt down in front of her and rested his hands on her knees. "It's the business you have chosen."

"Did you ever work for someone you didn't believe in?"

"For the first ten years of my career," he told her. "I'm lucky now. I realize that. But you've got to understand sometimes it's not about the man, it's about being part of something bigger."

"That's what Richard says."

"Richard is not an idiot. As much as Toby would like him to be."

"Doesn't it bother you to know that the person you're sleeping with is working against you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well, mostly because I know I'm going to win."

"Josh�"

"And because I trust you," he added. "Sometimes that's a hard call. And sometimes it backfires. But deep down I know you're not here because you're scheming for some way to help your candidate. You're here because you can't help yourself."

"I trust you too."

"Yeah, you really shouldn't," he joked. "I'm a lot more ruthless than you are."

"Josh�"

"I think maybe we can do this. Trust me. I've done this longer."

"Slept with blond republicans?"

"No, you're my first in that regard. I just meant juggling life and politics."

"You really think we can do this?"

He looked at her then and thought about all the women he'd dated in his life, the brunette democrats, and thought that as much as their ideology meshed their lives never had. He didn't agree with Donna on much, but he wouldn't be surprised if somehow they ended up being � a team.

"Yeah. I really think we can."

"Kay. Can I have a closing statement now?"

"Okay, still not close to being smooth."

Donna smiled evilly. "I'll let you see my breasts for a closing argument."

Josh returned her evil smile with one of his own. "Oh, you'll let me see them anyway," he said reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

Donna giggled. "You're right."


	7. Montague and Capulet 6

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"So did you get a closing statement?" Richard wanted to know.

"I got the closing statement," Donna announced.

"Really! Get out. What did you have to give him?"

At this point Donna tried not to blush.

Then she leaned on his desk, crossed her arms and smirked mostly at herself. "You know I wish I could say I coerced him with my great powers of debate, but I really don't think he cared about the closing statement."

She'd given him a clear, cohesive, persuasive argument, albeit in bed, but she was fully covered at the time. Or at least mostly covered. After a deliberate pause he agreed to her demands then pounced on her.

"He must not care."

"You don't think I could have won him over?" Donna pouted.

"You just said you didn't think you did," Richard countered.

"But it's different for me to think it and you to say it."

"How so?"

Donna wasn't too sure. "It's just that when it comes to politics, I feel as if I'm a mouse and he's a �"

"Cat?" Richard guessed

"Bigger."

"Dog."

"No, cat family bigger."

"Lion?"

"I was thinking of something a little stealthier."

"Cheetah?"

Donna turned to him with a furrowed brow. "Cheetah?"

"I was running out of cat animals."

"Panther," Donna concluded. "Josh Lyman is a panther and I'm a mouse."

"But a cute mouse. And you know what they say about the cute mouse."

"What do they say?"

"That she is the only one able to take the thorn out of the panther's paw."

His analogy was off, but Donna got the point. "I still think I would rather be a panther. More respect."

Richard shrugged. "Just so long as you recognize him as a predator. Lyman may exhibit a certain amount of charm, but don't be fooled. He's been known to eat the heart of his enemy."

Donna just looked at her boss.

"I'm serious! He doesn't play nice with people who get in his way. And he always plays to win. If you got the closing statement, it's because he wanted you to have it. You know it deep down. But I can see you would like to believe that his motives are some how pure and true and that he really let you win because he likes you."

"No, I would like to think his reasons are pure and true and that he let me win because I made a good argument and convinced him I was right," she huffed. "Certainly, not because he likes me. What a ridiculous thing to say."

Richard scrutinized his assistant. "Uh oh."

Donna averted her eyes. "Uh oh, what?"

"You've got a thing for him."

"I do not," she lied and felt her whole face flush. She was a ridiculously poor liar. Just one more reason why she was a mouse and not a panther.

"You do!" he accused her. He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers over his protruding belly. "You think I can't tell. I've known you for how many years and seen you through how many boyfriends."

"Three," Donna clarified. "Three boyfriends. That's it."

"What happened to Cliff? I liked Cliff."

"There just wasn't anything there. And you only liked Cliff because he was republican and he kissed your butt."

"Yes, there was that. What about Gerald? You know Ritchie's guy. He's got that really cool bowtie�"

Donna shook her head. "Richard, I'm not dating anyone who wears a bowtie."

"Ahh ha! I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"That while you talk the talk, deep down you've never really walked the walk. No self respecting female republican should have a prejudice against bowties. Quick. Tell me what you think of George Will. Hot or not?"

"Richard," Donna laughed knowing he was teasing her. "I'm not in the mood to play."

He leaned forward on his desk and gazed up at his very pretty, very smart, very witty assistant, who he kept around because of her loyalty, her work ethic, and sometimes because she didn't always think like the base did and her view points could in fact be refreshing. He adored her like a daughter and wanted only what was best for her. As long as it also didn't interfere with what he wanted.

"Be careful, Donna."

"I'm a grown woman, Richard."

"You are. And I can't tell you who to get involved with and who not to. You're going to have to make your own choices and live with the consequences of those choices. But if you think for one second that Lyman is interested in you for any reason other than because he thinks he can use you for his own benefit, you're wrong."

"You're a real boon to my ego, you know that?"

"I'm calling it like it is."

"You don't even know him."

"I know of him. Ask him about his last girlfriend. Ask him what happened to her when she got in his way."

"You are of course completely speculating that there is in fact something going on between us."

He studied the faint blush over her cheeks and the sparkle in her eye. "Of course," he answered solemnly.

  
"Richard's on to me."

They were seated in the back of mostly empty movie theater. Donna had foolishly piled her blonde hair under a baseball hat and she'd forced Josh to wear sunglasses. He was having a hell of a time seeing the movie.

"On to you?"

"He thinks I have a thing for you."

"You do," Josh said smugly. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips for quick taste. It had been days since they'd been together, but it felt more like months. If he thought for a second that what they had could just be a one and done sort of thing, he was an idiot.

"I'm serious," she whispered loudly.

"Shhhhhh," came the reprimand from the couple in front of them.

"So am I. This cloak and dagger act you've got going is ridiculous."

"Oh like you would really tell anyone that you're seeing me."

"I'm not going to make it public knowledge no, but we're not doing anything wrong, Donna. My friends know that I would never do anything to jeopardize the campaign regardless of who I was seeing."

"Well, I don't think Richard has the same faith in me."

"Shhhhh." This time the gentleman turned and glared.

"What?" Josh countered. "It's still the previews." He turned around and Josh turned his attention back to Donna. "If Richard doesn't have any faith in you then you should quit."

"Oh, but wouldn't that ruin all your plans," Donna muttered sourly.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"What happened to your last girlfriend?"

"You mean the one I buried out back in my shed?"

"That's it," the agitated woman in front of them said. "I'm getting the manager."

Josh sneered at the woman, but grabbed Donna's hand and lifted her out of her movie seat. He dragged her out of the theater and out of the building then around a corner so that they could have some privacy.

"What's your problem?"

"What happened to your last girlfriend?" Donna asked again, her arms folded across her chest and her chin jutting out. She didn't want to doubt him, but Richard's words kept playing over and over again in her mind. She didn't want to be a patsy. But importantly, she really didn't want to be his patsy.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Why won't you answer the question?"

"What do you want to know?" Josh asked now equally agitated.

"Was she a rival?"

"Yes."

"A republican?" Donna asked wondering if he secretly had a thing for republicans.

"No. She was, believe it or not, a little to the left."

"And how did things end between you?"

Josh snapped his jaw shut and looked away. "Who told you about this? Richard?" Whoever it was, was someone who didn't want to show him in the best light. This story wasn't his shinning hour. It also meant that she was probably right about Richard being on to them. Like Toby said, the man was no fool. Josh sighed. "It ended mostly because I was responsible for getting her fired."

"Yeah," Donna quipped. "I could sort of see how that might put a damper on things."

"Look, that's the story, but there were other things involved. It wasn't just about the job. It was about our inability to talk about other stuff. To have something outside of our jobs. Unlike us. We spent the first hour together talking about how American Idol and some girl named�"

"Kelly."

"Right. Kelly, the singer. As opposed to Justin the �"

"Hair Boy," Donna finished.

Josh smiled and moved closer sensing whatever tension that had developed between was now gone. "Right, Hair Boy will have a huge cultural impact on our nation. By the way that's not true, is it?"

She circled his neck with her arms and rested her forehead against his. "You never once asked me about my day or about the campaign or anything."

"It's not that I don't care�"

"I know."

"It's just that I can't ask," Josh told her.

"I know."

"The election is in four months. Four months and it will be settled one way or the other. You know with my guy returning to the White House and your guy returning to his alligator farm."

"Sure, knock a man for having an alligator farm."

"It's weird," Josh informed her.

"It's not� okay, it's a little weird. Off the record," she added just in case.

"In four months you'll know for sure."

"That you're not dating me just to pump me for inside information."

"Well, you sort of got the pumping you part right." He leaned in and kissed her then pulled back when he felt her hands tugging in his hair.

"You're pig," she muttered, but then pulled him closer so that she could have another taste. Josh Lyman was purely addicting.

"So I've been told. I'm not going lie, Donna. I play to win."

She jutted her chin up and met his expression squarely. "So do I."

And he believed her. It's just that she didn't understand quite yet that that they weren't even on the same field together. She was smart though. She would learn.

"Can we now go back inside to watch the girly movie that I didn't even want to see but had to pay for only to almost be kicked out of?"

"Yes. Or we can go home and find some other form of entertainment," she whispered seductively leaning in to nibble on his ear. "I don't know, something a little more X-rated."

"Please, Donna, ADULT is as high as I will go."

She chuckled. But then he took her hand and started leading her back to the theater. "Wait. I thought we were going home."

"Oh we'll get to that. But right now we have to go back in and get revenge on those annoying people in front of us. You thought I was going to let them beat us?"

Her man was a definitely competitor.

But he was also definitely her man.


	8. Montague and Capulet 7

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"You're wrong."

"I'm not wrong."

"You're wrong on so many levels," Donna assured him. "That I don't even know how to measure how wrong you are."

"But how is that possible when I'm right?"

They were walking down the street hand in hand on their way to Josh's place from Charlie's when Donna stopped mid stride in front of a magazine stand.

"Can I have some money?" she asked tilting her chin in the general direction of the magazine stand.

Josh eyed her suspiciously, but complied forking over a twenty from his wallet. Donna took the twenty and purchased a pack of gum. The guy behind the stand grunted, but then handed her back nineteen dollars and fifty cents.

Josh held his hand out for the change, but Donna circled around him towards the homeless person who was lying against the wall and proceeded to stuff the change from the twenty in the old man's cup.

"God Bless you lady," he muttered, then tucked empty the contents of the cup into his shirt.

Donna smiled and turned back to Josh.

"That was my last twenty," he grumbled.

"Yes, but since I was practicing your party's economic philosophy, you know taking more than you need for what you want then instead of returning the difference making the decision to give it to someone you may or may not have approved of, you can hardly blame me. Right?"

"You think you're being cute right now, don't you?"

She simply smiled.

Josh took her hand and they continued to walk. "You see the problem with that scenario is that the right thing to do is to give the money to the homeless man. It's our moral obligation."

"One which you wouldn't have made unless you were forced to."

"Exactly. Sometimes people need to be made to do the right thing."

"But that's not the government's job. And it doesn't make us better people. What makes us better people is when we have a choice and then we do the right thing."

"Only republicans don't care about doing the right thing."

Donna stopped in her tracks and huffed. "I take exception to the natural assumption that republicans wouldn't have given the money to the homeless man."

Josh smirked. "Oh please."

"Most republicans want to do the right thing. All of us except for maybe Trent Lott. But the rest of us might have given the money away."

"Would not."

"Would too."

"Would not," Josh countered. "Republicans would have stashed it away for the next payment on their BMW."

"You drive an Audi," Donna reminded him.

"Yes, but not a BMW."

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "You think you're being cute right now, don't you?"

"You mean I'm not always cute?"

Donna groaned and rejoined him linking her fingers through his. "You're impossible."

"It's just because I'm right all the time." Josh leaned into her to give her a quick kiss when he caught something out of the corner of his eye and stopped.

"What?"

"Bruno," Josh said looking at the man who'd just walked out of the convenience store doorway.

"Joshua."

Josh stood for a minute uncertain how to handle the situation, but then remembered that he was a grown up. And he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Bruno, this is �"

"Donna Moss. Yes, I know."

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," Donna replied.

"We haven't. I just make it my business to know everyone in the opposing camp. Even the foot soldiers."

Donna crossed her arms over her chest in reflexive defensive gesture. There was something about the man in front of her that reminded her that politics could be a dangerous game.

"Well, it's getting cold out. We should be going," Josh said feeling Donna stiffen next to him.

"Yes. We'll talk tomorrow, Joshua. Ms. Moss."

He left and the two of them turned their heads to watch him as he swaggered on by.

"Okay, my ick factor just flew off the charts."

"Bruno's not a bad guy," Josh defended him.

"He's ruthless."

"But in a good way."

Donna looked at Josh, but he just shrugged. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him as they continued walking.

"What do you think this means," Donna wanted to know.

"The fact that you've mastered my party's economic policy� I'm hopeful."

"Josh!"

"It will be fine," he assured her, knowing what she was referring to.

"He's going to tell people."

"Ooooh. Not that. He's not going to tell people that as a single man I'm dating a single woman. What ever will I do?"

Donna knew he was being deliberately coy, but decided not to fight it. Instead, she played along. "You know this may be our last night together," she added dramatically.

"Huh?"

"We should probably make it a good one," Donna added.

"Okay."

She leaned into and whispered seductively in his ear. "What if I said you can have anything you want?"

"Anything?"

"Anything," she said even as she caught his ear lobe between her teeth for a quick taste.

"Then I think I want my twenty back," he teased.

Donna smacked him upside the head, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing. "You so blew it. I was going to strip for you."

"Okay, I change my mind. I want that."

"Too late," Donna said pulling away from him. "You're getting a twenty and a sorry I have a headache."

But Josh caught her hand before she could completely escape. This time his expression was serious. "It's going to be okay, Donna. I promise."

She nodded tightly, but quickly turned away. She didn't want him to see the uncertainty in her eyes.

  
"You're dating Donna Moss."

Toby, Sam, and CJ along with Bruno had been waiting for him in his office when he arrived. Josh figured maybe it was better this way to get everything out to everyone at once. He dumped his backpack on the floor and circled his desk. He picked up a stack of messages and flipped through them. When he was done he raised his head to the group.

It didn't surprise him that Toby began this particular inquisition.

"Yes."

"As in seeing her, as in eating with her, as in sleeping�"

"I'm dating Donna Moss," Josh repeated cutting him off. "And I really don't see how it's anyone's business."

"Oh! Did everybody catch that? Josh is dating one of Ritchie's aides and it's none of our business!" Toby shouted.

"First of all, she doesn't work for Ritchie, she works for Gormly. Gormly's consulting much in the same way Bruno is. This is no different then if Connie was dating someone on Ritchie's staff."

"And that would be good, how?" Toby wanted to know. His hands started to flail and he had to cross them over his chest for fear that he might hit someone accidentally. Namely, Josh.

"Josh," CJ chimed in, "I guess we just need to know� why?"

"Why?"

"Yes. Why?" Sam asked. "Why now? Why her?"

Josh stared at his group of friends and shook his head. "I can't believe this."

"I know it came as a shock to us too," CJ told him.

"No. Not her. This. Where the hell do you get off coming in here and telling me who I can or cannot date? Have I ever, ever leaked a campaign secret?"

The group remained silent.

But Josh continued to press. "Have I ever done or said anything that put this administration in jeopardy?"

"I guess you mean not including the secret plan to fight inflation," Toby clarified.

"I'm talking seriously. I'm talking I've spent my whole life in politics and I've never once been intentionally disloyal to my party or my employer."

"Except for when you left Hoynes's campaign to join Bartlet," Sam tossed out.

Josh shot him a look that clearly said, not helping. "I'm not sharing campaign strategy. I'm not giving her sound bites to use in their press releases. I'm not screwing up."

"No, you're just screwing," Bruno finished, pushing himself away from the wall in which he'd been leaning.

"Bruno, I respect your abilities and I respect what you can bring to this election, but so help me god you ever say anything like that again, and I'm taking you out back," Josh told him.

"You mean out back to the Rose Garden. Now that would be a sight. Put your fists away Joshua. You see I, unlike your compadres here, think it's a great thing."

"You do?" Toby questioned.

"I do," Bruno answered.

Josh eyed the man skeptically and recalled what Donna had said about her ick factor. "It's because you think I can use her."

"Of course it's because I think you can use her. You are a savvy politician Lyman even if sometimes in your eagerness to do good you over look the big the picture. I have no fear that you'll be gracing this woman with any useful information regarding Bartlet's re-election campaign. However, she is a novice. A newbie. A rookie of the worst sort. She's all noble intentions and high ideals, and has no idea that the pool that she has chosen to jump into is full of sharks."

"If you think I'm going to set her up�"

"Who is saying set her up? I'm saying she'll offer you what you need without even realizing how badly she's blundering. You don't have to manipulate or coerce. You don't have to lie or deceive. All you have to do is listen."

The room once again fell silent as the weight of what Bruno was saying fell heavily on all of their shoulders.

"Keep me informed," Bruno said and with that left the office.

"Josh, you have to know we weren't thinking about�" Sam trailed off when he saw his friend's expression.

"Don't do this, Josh," CJ said walking over to him. "Call it off now before anyone gets hurt."

"You think I would hurt her?" Josh asked surprised that CJ would think that he'd take Bruno's advice seriously.

"I think there is no way to prevent it."  
He looked at all of them. "You have to know that I didn't do this� I mean I wouldn't have picked her�You would like her. All of you. It just happened."

"Make it unhappen, Josh. For her sake and yours. The election is six weeks away. Tell her you'll call her that following Wednesday."

Josh looked at Toby and nodded. It was the only choice. Because he would not under any circumstances set her up. He would not under any circumstances hurt her. He'd done enough of that throughout his career to women who knew the score a hell of a lot more than Donna did.

What worried him was whether or not on that Wednesday she'd take his call.

"I have work."

The group got the message and one by one filed out. CJ, however, lingered at the door. "I've seen her. She's cute."

"She's beautiful," he corrected her meeting her gaze.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too."


	9. Montague and Capulet 8

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


"Hey!" Donna called from the kitchen.

"Hey," Josh responded closing her front door behind him. "You shouldn't leave your door open like this."

"I just unlocked it when I buzzed you through downstairs."

"Yeah, but how do know it was me who you let in?"

Donna came out from the kitchen carrying two beers and handed him one, a quizzical expression on her face. "Because you said, hey, it's me, Josh."

"I could have been lying. You know to trick you."

"I was willing to take my chances."

"I'm just saying you don't live in the best part of DC. You need to be careful," he lectured.

Donna could see his agitation and it didn't take much to know the cause of it. She held her hand out for the overcoat he'd managed to take off while still holding his beer. He gave it to her and settled into her couch, a brooding expression on his face while he tipped back the bottle.

"I'm always careful, Josh," she informed him returning to the kitchen. She was making spaghetti because she had a hunch it had been a while since he'd eaten anything real, but she'd suddenly lost her appetite.

"Careful would have been checking through the peep hole and verifying it was me before opening the door."

"I'll keep that in mind," she countered.

Josh sighed and took another swig of beer. He lifted himself off the couch and wondered back to the kitchen. "It smells good."

"Me or the pasta?"

"The pasta," he answered honestly. It was the only thing he could smell.

"Somehow I knew that's what you would say. How was work?"

"Fine."

Oh yeah, she thought. Trouble ahead. Instinctively, she kicked into denial mode, knowing what was coming but not quite ready or willing to do deal with it. "Well, wait until I tell you about my day. I was prepping the Governor for the next debate. And we were talking about Taiwan, which for whatever reason he keeps messing up and calling Taipei, which in a way is sort of scary because I'm not too sure he knows the difference�"

"You didn't say off the record," Josh interrupted her.

Donna stopped her diatribe and looked at him.

"You didn't say it."

"I didn't think I had to," she said. "Not anymore."

Josh dropped his head. "You don't. I � I don't know. It's just � you shouldn't say�anything."

"Anything? It's going be a pretty quiet night. Why don't you tell me about what you and Bruno talked about today?"

"He said you were a rookie. The worst kind because you were all noble intentions and high ideals."

"My bad. Should I switch things up and have evil intentions and low ideals?" Donna snapped.

Josh shook his head. "I know. I thought it was ridiculous when he said it too."

"You didn't come here to eat my spaghetti, did you?"

Slowly, he shook his head again. "No, I didn't."

Donna turned off the stove and took her beer back into the living room. She fell into the couch and struck up a similar brooding expression Josh had started with, which on her translated into a pout.

He sat down next to her waiting for her to say something. When she didn't he said, "I can smell you now. You smell nice."

Donna turned and faced him. "It's not like we thought it was going to work out."

"No."

"We both knew it was stupid."

"Yep."

"So why did we do it?"

"Because."

"You know for a normally loquacious man you're sort of letting me down here."

"I don't have any answers Donna. I just know I liked you."

"Liked. As in past tense."

"Like as in now. Like as in future. The election is only a couple of weeks away, if we could just wait�"

She laughed softly. "Wait until what? Until it's over? What about the next election? Then the next one."

"Well, I'm hoping I can fix you by then."

She chucked him on the shoulder weakly as punishment for his attempt at humor. There was no room for the funny when her heart was breaking over the decision that had to be made.

"There's nothing to fix. You've been doing this for a long time, but I'm just getting started. I have all these plans, Josh. I want to help people. I want to help lots of people. I want to try and make their lives betters. I want to make them safer and smarter and I want everyone to have whatever it is they need to get through the day. And the only job I know where I can do that, play a role in making that happen, is politics. Noble intentions and high ideals? What are we doing here if we don't have those? What is Bruno doing? I'm glad I'm not on his side if all he cares about is winning."

"I'm not asking you to quit your job."

"Just to switch sides," she clarified. "We're not that far apart, Josh. We want the same things. We just have two different ideas of how to get there."

"And even our ideas aren't so different," Josh added. "Which means this shouldn't be a problem. But it is. At least it is right now."

She sighed. "I know. I'm an elephant and you're a jackass and nobody is every going to see it any differently especially during an election."

She was right. And it sucked. "We prefer the term donkey."

"Okay," she smiled. "I'll remember that. What with me being an elephant and all."

"So what happens now?" he asked.

"You miss out on some really good food," she told him sadly. He nodded and started to get up, but she caught his arm. "But I'm thinking you have a golden opportunity for break-up sex."

He sank back down on the couch. "Break up sex? That's a thing."

"It's a thing."

"Because I've had make-up sex before," he informed her.

"This is different. You see with make-up sex it's exciting because you've just been presented with the possibility that you might break up but then you don't. There's all this heat and anger and fear churning around inside you�"

"I see you've made quite a study of this?"

"I use to watch a lot of soaps," Donna explained, then continued. "Anyway break-up sex is way more intense. Because you still have the heat, and the anger and the fear, but you also have sadness and the sense of finality because you know it's the last time. I.E. the soldier going off to war."

"You come with examples too. That's excellent. What about documentation? Do you have any documentation to back this up? Preferably something with illustrations."

"You're teasing me, now," she accused him.

He smiled sadly as her words `the last time' sunk around his heart and caused it to beat more slowly. "I think I would rather have spaghetti."

"Yeah," she agreed, knowing why was opting for pasta over her. Taking a sip of her beer she reached out to hold on to his hand. Probably too tightly considering he'd just broken up with her. "Me too."

  
"Did you do it?"

Josh turned around at Bruno's question, then quickly ignored him. Heading for his office, he called out to his assistant. "Mrs. Haddon could you hold my calls? I need to get some reading done this afternoon."

"Yes, Mr. Lyman." The older woman watched her employer turn into his office with the other man, the one she didn't like, close on his heels.

"I don't think he wants to be disturbed, Mr. Gionelli."

Bruno stopped and eyed the older woman from head to toe. "Something you should learn, whatever your name is, they very rarely want to be disturbed by me. Something else you should learn. I don't care."

"I don't think I will," she replied softly under her breath even as he was dismissing her.

Bruno shut the door behind him and leaned against it. "So give. I want names, dates, details. I want everything she has ever said about our boy Ritchie and I want it now."

Josh pulled a law book off the shelf and took it with him to his desk. "She said he likes seafood, catfish in particular. What can you do with that? I'm thinking maybe we can really go after dog lovers, stir them up, talk about discrimination. Or do we go after cat people who don't like the idea of their pets being linked to a fish that's eaten? I'm sort of torn."

Bruno chucked mirthlessly. "You're really not that funny."

"I ended it," Josh said brutally still feeling as if he'd done something colossally wrong. "Find some other source, Bruno."

"I already have," he said then shrugged. "I didn't expect this from you. They told me you were a player."

"They told me you were one of the good guys."

Bruno merely smirked and left the office.

Josh sank into his chair on the pretense that he was going to be boning up on the law, but what he was actually planning on doing was brooding. He'd made the right choice. He had to believe that. If anything happened, if anything went wrong, more than likely Donna was the one who was going to get hurt.

Not that he was feeling like he wanted to do the happy dance at that moment. It was weird. He'd remembered being disappointed when things ended between him and Amy. Sorry it didn't work out; worried that his failure to commit was based on some deep seated fear that stemmed from the childhood trauma of losing his sister.

But this was different. What he was feeling now wasn't so much disappointment as it was denial. Like he didn't really believe things were over. Like he knew that someday somehow he'd make this work with her because he was supposed to.

He'd give it time. She said things wouldn't be different after the election, but they would. He'd prove it to her. After the election it wouldn't matter who he dated. After the election the administration would be free to say the things they wanted to say and act on important legislation without constantly looking over their shoulder as to how it might play in an election.

There would be no more elections after this. Sort of like break-up sex � it made things more intense.

"Hey," Sam said from the doorway. "What are you doing?"

Josh looked up from his law book. "I'm thinking about sex."

"You know they say that men do exactly that every five seconds."

"Huh."

"It's really amazing we get anything done."

"It is," Josh agreed. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

Sam smiled in a way that made him look like a ten year old. Like he had a secret but was a little ashamed of himself because he was going to spill it. "We got this quote from a source in Ritchie's camp�"

"What source?"

"It doesn't matter�anyway apparently Ritchie doesn't know the difference between Taiwan and Taipei."

"What?" Josh asked jumping out of his seat.

"I know. Can you imagine the President of the United States not knowing the difference between�"

"Sam, we can't use that."

"Of course we're going to use it."

"No. We can't."

"Too late. It's done. We leaked it to a paper and it's being prepped as a question in the next debate."

"I can't believe this," Josh muttered falling back into his chair.

"Josh, this isn't dirty politics, this is fact. The man doesn't know the difference between Taiwan and Taipei. That's something the voting public has a right to know."

Josh saw in his mind the events that were about to unfold as if he was a fortune teller. And in a way he was. Because he knew exactly what was going to happen and exactly who was going to get hurt.

"But it was off the record."  



	10. Montague and Capulet 9

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


Josh stared at the buzzer with the tag that read Moss above it.

Rain was falling. The kind of cold damp rain that sinks into your bones and chills you to your marrow. He pulled the collar of his coat up around his neck and decided that it was futile. There was no way to stop the rain. And there was no way she would listen to him. Not now.

He jogged back down the steps of her building and stopped as soon as he got to the street. He cursed, then jogged back up the steps and once again stared at the buzzer. Just as he'd done five times in the last twenty minutes.

Finally, he drummed up enough courage to actually hit the buzzer instead of just looking at it.

"Hello."

"Hey. It's me."

There was silence for a moment. Then "Go away."

It sounded so final, so flat, in a voice that was usually filled with warmth and humor.

"Donna, just listen to me�."

"No."

"You have to," Josh insisted.

"Why?"

Good question. "Because?"

"Go away."

"I didn't leak it," Josh told her. "I swear. And I know that you probably have no reason to believe me, but it's the truth. And frankly, I don't very much like you calling my honor into question. I've been honest with you from the beginning about everything and now you're standing here, well not here, but inside where it's warm no less, and calling me a liar."

"I didn't call you a liar."

"You were thinking it."

Again there was silence. "I was thinking it."

"I'm not liar. I know you know that's true."

"Taipei, Josh. Off the record. I never said it."

He sighed. Hell, if the shoe were on the other foot he wouldn't believe him either. "I know. You've got another leak. Let me in, Donna. Let's just talk about it."

Donna rested her head on her door and told herself all the reasons why she should absolutely not let him inside. There was no good that could come of it. They had said their goodbyes and it was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do.

A close second though was telling Richard she was responsible for the Taipei story getting leaked.

Compared to that, turning in her resignation and cleaning out her desk was easy.

"Please, Donna."

It was the please that got her. She was such a sucker. She hit the button that released the lock on the door and regretted it as soon as she had. There was nothing to be accomplished at this point. There was no going back. She lost Josh, she lost her job. She was thinking about going home to Wisconsin. Maybe local politics�

The knock on the door startled her although it shouldn't have. Maybe if she ignored him he would go away.

"Donna. Come on, Donna hurry up. If nothing else, I'm freezing. I need a cup of coffee."

Donna just stared at the door.

"Or at least tea. Can I have some tea?"

"You hate tea," she said through the door.

"I do hate tea. That's how cold I am Donna. I'm tea cold."

She smiled and gave up the struggle. Who did she think she was kidding? Of course she was going to open the door.

"You're wet."

"It's raining."

"I have cocoa."

He looked as if he might cry in gratitude.

"You really are very easy to please."

"I'm a simple man," he confessed.

She took his coat and pointed to the couch. Then just as he was about to sit, she stopped him. "Wait, I'll get a towel."

She left the room for a minute and Josh took a moment to congratulate himself on getting this far. When she came back, he saw that there were circles under her eyes and he felt guilty knowing that in part he had caused them.

He took the fluffy yellow towel and rubbed it over his head. When he lifted it he saw her smiling at him.

"My hair's all over the place, isn't it?"

"You look like clown. You know with the red hair you really should have considered that as a career path."

"I didn't tell anyone about Taipei."

Donna sighed and crossed her arms over chest. "Maybe you didn't tell anyone with the intention of telling them�"

"I didn't say anything about it to anyone. I'm not stupid, Donna. I knew exactly what would happen if that story got leaked. The man doesn't know the difference between Taiwan and Taipei! And frankly, I can't be all that sorry that it did get out and that people will realize that this man is simply not capable of leading the country. But I'm not the one who put it out there."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I believe you. You didn't put it out there."

"Really. You mean that."

"I mean it. I do know you're not a liar."

"How?"

"You're voice tends to get really high. Like when I asked if you liked that movie we watched last week�"

"I did."

"See, right there, your lying."

He was lying. "It was in French," he said trying to defend himself.

"What, you can't read subtitles?"

"Subtitles suck."

"You could learn French."

"We could not watch foreign films."

Donna stopped herself. "We're not going to be watching any movies anymore," she reminded him.

"So even though you know I'm telling the truth, you're not going to forgive me?"

"Josh, we broke up. Remember. Spaghetti. Hot passionate break-up sex. You left the next morning before I woke up."

"I figured you would have wanted me to."

"I did. It was better that way. No more goodbyes. But the point is we were over before all of this happened."

"Yeah, but here's the thing. I don't really want us to be over."

"Josh�"

"No, I'm serious. That wasn't break-up sex. That was just good. I was going to call you next Wednesday."

"We said it didn't matter."

"No you said it didn't matter. I had every intention of calling you."

"So you lied."

"About breaking up, not about Taipei. I'm surprised you didn't pick up on that."

"I was in a little bit of pain at the time," she admitted.

Josh tossed the towel away and moved closer to her. He leaned down slowly, giving her time to react, and when she didn't pull away he kissed her lips, softly at first then more urgently. He felt her arms circle his waist and he moved her closer against his body, letting her heat him from the inside and out.

When he needed to breathe he pulled away, but still he maintained eye contact. "Yeah, like I was going to give that up."

She laughed and hugged him closer then pulled way when she realized he was soaked through his shirt.

"Ewww."

"Uh, Donna, not the reaction I'm looking for from a woman after kissing her."

"No, I mean you're wet. Go change out of those clothes. I have a robe hanging on the hook in the bathroom. I'll make some coco and then we talk."

"You mean after we have sex, right."

"Talk first, then sex."

"How about sex, first then talk?"

"How about you should be grateful you're not still staring at my buzzer in the rain."

Since she was right, he shut up and headed for the bathroom.

"What did you tell Gormly?" Josh called out to her as he heart her fussing about in the kitchen.

"I told him I was responsible for the leak and I handed in my resignation."

Josh figured that was pretty much what would happen. "And he took it?"

"I didn't really give him a choice. Richard is one of the good guys, Josh. He probably would have tried to talk me out of leaving, but I wouldn't have been able to look him in the eye."

Once he was naked except for his boxers, which were only slightly damp, Josh eyed the robe Donna had referenced. Red Silk. Not his usual style, but then beggars can't be choosers. He put the robe on and checked his reflection in mirror. In a way he sort of looked like Hugh Hefner.

He wondered if Donna thought Hugh was sexy.

"Talk first," he muttered to himself. Then he would worry about looking sexy. He smoothed his hair down a little then came walking out of the bathroom. "Why wouldn't you have been able to look him in the eye?" he asked. "You told him about us didn't you?"

Josh stopped when he saw Donna standing at her open front door. For whatever reason, he had a pretty good idea who was standing on the other side of it and the answer to his question.

Defeated, Donna dropped her head, stepped back and let Richard Gormly inside.

"Not exactly," she finally answered. "Richard, Josh. Josh Richard. So I'm thinking this isn't going to be much fun."


	11. Montague and Capulet 10

**Montague and Capulet**

**by:** Dee 

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** AU - Donna is an assistant in Washington - she's just not Josh's assistant. (I think you will all catch on pretty quickly.) No Amy at all. It's bad enough she's going to be around for another season.  


Richard stared first and Josh, then at Donna. Then back to Josh. Then back to Donna. 

"Ahh," he said. "I knew it. It's not like I didn't know it. I knew it. I just didn't know it, you know?" He shook his head slightly and turned back to Donna. "But I have to say I'm a little disappointed." 

"Wait," Josh intervened stepping in front of Donna. "Don't take this out on her. She didn't do what you think she did?" 

Richard looked doubtful. "You're in her apartment. You're wearing her robe. The red by the way doesn't really work with your coloring - makes you look a little pasty." 

"Listen, Richard..." 

"I'm a pretty smart guy. I think I've got it figured out." 

"I wanted to tell you," Donna confessed. "I just didn't know how." 

"A democrat?" Richard asked shock evident in his tone. "Really?" 

"I wore her down," Josh explained. 

"He's got really cute dimples," Donna said simultaneously. 

Josh scowled at her. "I don't have dimples." 

"Yes, you do. Cute ones." 

"And that's what attracted you to me? Not my keen intellect or dry wit." 

Donna considered this. "No, it was pretty much the dimples." 

"I'm stunned." 

Richard shook his head. "Uh, hello, excuse me. I think we have more important things to consider beyond your dimples. Like the fact that he works for the enemy!" 

"He's not my enemy, Richard." Donna took Josh's hand in hers to drive the point home. 

Resigned, Richard nodded and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. A whistle sounded from a tea pot. "I see that. Your water's boiling." 

"For cocoa. You want some?" 

"I am a little cold. I had to walk all the way from the Metro." 

"The Metro stop is only around the corner," Josh smirked. 

"You're wearing a woman's robe. I wouldn't throw stones." 

"Boys, behave!" Donna called to them as she wandered back into the kitchen. 

Both men settled on the couch and waited for Donna to bring them their cocoa. 

"You've got a leak you know," Josh told the older man. 

"I know," he returned. 

"I mean not Donna. Donna told me about the Taiwan thing, and come on - Taiwan - anyway she let it slip in conversation, but I never used it. I swear." 

"And why should I believe you?" Richard wondered. 

"Donna does." 

"Donna's sleeping with you, I hope she believes you." 

"Toby said you were a smart guy." 

"Toby is right." 

"Except for the fact that you're Republican." 

"Right again," Richard quipped. 

Josh turned to him, his expression somber. "I'm not kidding. You've got a leak and isn't Donna." 

Richard returned his gaze. "I know," he said clearly. 

Josh nodded. "You know who it is?" 

"I do." 

"Wait a minute," Donna interrupted as she carried two steaming mugs in her hand. "You're telling me that our office really has a leak." 

"It does," Richard assured her as he took the mug. "What? No marshmallows?" 

Donna huffed and handed Josh his mug. 

"Hey, she was nice enough to make you the hot chocolate," he said leaping to her defense. "She didn't have to do that." 

"Thank you," Donna told Josh, shooting Richard a nasty look. 

"But marshmallows would have been good," Josh muttered taking his own mug. 

Donna glared at both of them. She sat on the coffee table facing them. "So who is it? Is it Dan with the beady eyes?" 

"No." 

"Susan! I always suspected her. She hates me." 

"She hates you because your hair color is natural," Richard told her. "Not because she's a spy." 

"Then who?" Josh asked. "It would have to be somebody pretty high up if only because the press wouldn't have talked to a nobody." 

"Oh he's pretty high up. The highest in fact. At least in my office." 

For a moment Donna was confused, then realization dawned. "Richard, you didn't." 

"I did," he stated. 

Josh was incredulous. "You're telling me you leaked the story." 

"Yep." 

"About your own candidate." 

He nodded. 

"I don't get it," Josh finally said. 

"He doesn't believe in him," Donna figured out as a smile overtook her face. "All that talk about it not mattering, about how it's the game of politics, but when push came to shove you wouldn't, you couldn't, support a candidate you didn't believe in." 

"The man is an idiot," Richard finally said, shooting off the couch. He paced while he made his case. "Forget the geography questions; they were just the tip of the iceberg. He didn't understand policy. He didn't `get' the budget. That's what he said, `I don't get the budget.' What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" 

"What's going to happen now?" Donna asked. 

Richard looked at her. "Ritchie's people know the leak came from my office. Alas, I cannot take the fall for this. If word got out that I had sabotaged my own candidate... well, let's just say it wouldn't be very good for business." 

Now Josh stood as he saw where Richard was going with this. "Oh, no you don't, you're not pinning this on Donna just to save sorry hide." 

"Yes, I am." 

Donna laughed and Josh glared at her. "How can you think this is funny?" 

"Because she knows I'm not doing this to hurt her," Richard explained. He walked over to Donna and cupped her chin in his big hand. "You never really were one of us, were you, Juliet?" 

"In spirit maybe," she answered truthfully. 

"But not in practice," Richard concluded. "So I'm turning her over to you, Romeo. Without bloodshed this time. Well, you and the Democratic Party, that is. I'll keep the whole thing hush hush so Donna's reputation isn't ruined and you my friend will find her a job where she can do the most good in gratitude for all the help she's given your candidate. Because that's really all she wants to do is help people. She happens to be very gifted at doing just that. And me, I'm going back down south. It's too damn cold in Washington." 

Donna got up and walked her former employer to the door. "You know I owe you everything, don't you?" 

"Only up to this point. You've got a long way to go." 

"You'll write?" 

"Nope." 

"Call?" 

"Probably not." 

"You'll let Josh and I come down every once and a while to bug you and you'll take us out on your boat?" 

Richard looked at Josh, who still seemed perplexed by everything that had just happened. "Can you fish?" 

"You mean like for real? With a rod and stuff?" 

Richard groaned and patted Donna's cheek. "I'll think about it." He left and Donna turned back to Josh. 

"What just happened?" 

"I'm not really sure, but I think I'm a democrat." 

Josh flopped back down in the couch. "So what does this mean?" 

Donna flopped down next to him and shrugged her shoulders. "You've got to get me job." 

Josh took her hand in his. "I meant for us." 

Donna smiled. "I don't work for the enemy anymore." 

"And if I get you a job you'll actually be on my side." 

"Then I think this is good. Right?" 

They both took a minute to absorb the impact of that. With their fingers still interlocked Donna looked at Josh. "What are you thinking right now?" 

Josh faced her. A slow smile began on his lips then spread. "I'm thinking... how bad would it be if I hired my girlfriend as my assistant?" 

With that he leaned in and kissed her. A kiss that clarified for both of them that this was in fact a good thing. 

They were a good thing. 

The End. 


End file.
